The best spade bits, compared.
Top pick: YIWONFU 9-piece spade bit set Best value: Gunpla 6-piece spade bit set – Joint-highest value part, and the cheaper of those two rows, at about £6.98 with 287 ratings. Updated October 2026.
A spade bit, also called a flat wood bit or paddle bit, is a flat steel blade with a centre point that bores a large hole in timber faster than a twist bit. In the UK you buy one for a hidden service hole, door furniture, or rough work in board, not for a finished hinge cup. You tell a suitable example by checks that stay true when the listing changes. The diameter on the bit should agree with the title, the components line and the specification table. Count those diameters, not a pieces cell that says 1. A 1/4 inch hex is the usual shank. Impact-rated means an impact driver, not hammer mode. Softwood and board are the normal job. Hardwood only where the listing says so. A pouch, case, tin or tube is part of the purchase, and an extension counts only when the title or the components line includes it. A Forstner bit, an auger and a hole saw are different tools. Diameter, shank and storage are in the [spade bit buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/spade-bit/sub/spade-bit-buying-guide).
A spade bit, also called a flat wood bit or paddle bit, is a flat steel blade with a centre point that bores a large hole in timber faster than a twist bit.
42 products checked · 64 hrs invested · +22,800 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will the hole sit?
The YIWONFU nine-piece set is £10.63, with 5.0 from nine ratings, and the bullets list 6, 8, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 and 32 mm at 150 mm, on a 1/4 inch hex, in a pouch. Four UK texts call the bits sharp enough to go through wood fairly easily, say the fabric pouch keeps them together, and treat the nine sizes as adequate for light use, including a note that they cover imperial equivalents. One buyer says not to use them for heavy-duty work. Those four texts do not mention a missing size or a snap. The specification table says stainless steel and the bullets say heat-treated high carbon steel, so neither line can be dropped. The bullets also name softwood, hardwood, chipboard, plywood, PVC and plastic, and they name impact drivers without printing an impact rating. Nine ratings are why the 5.0 line is capped in the score. It is not evidence that the table’s stainless-steel cell is the steel in the pouch.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a light-use pouch that names hardwood, and you will quote both material lines until one of them is gone from the page.
Less suitable: You are paying £10.63 because you read the stainless-steel cell as the specification.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it stainless steel?
The specification table says stainless steel. The bullets say heat-treated high carbon steel. Both lines are on the listing.
Does the listing name hardwood?
Yes. The bullets name softwood, hardwood, chipboard, plywood and plastic.
How many reviews are behind the 5.0 line?
Nine. Four UK review texts are in the comparison.
DeWalt DT70751-QZ is £19.99, with 4.8 from 753 ratings, sold as a nine-piece Extreme flat bit set in a TOUGHCASE+. Across 49 review texts, buyers describe sharp cuts through 18 mm plywood with little splintering, door-lock work, and laminated worktops or solid oak still cutting after many holes, plus a joiner who treated the set as lasting. One bit arrived slightly bent and was still used, and the edges are sharp enough that a reviewer cut a hand. This amazon.co.uk listing does not list the nine diameters, the pieces cell says 1, and the shank table says Straight while the bullets say 1/4 inch. The bullets say impact-ready. They do not name hammer mode, and one reviewer found holes hairy from an impacter and preferred a screw gun. Trade catalogues list diameters for this model number. Those catalogues are not this listing, so the comparison cell stays without a size list.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already know the DT70751 diameters from a catalogue in your hand, and you want the case and the review sample rather than a size list on this Amazon page.
Less suitable: You need the nine sizes printed on the amazon.co.uk page you are buying from.
Specifications
Common questions
Which diameters are in DT70751?
This amazon.co.uk listing does not list them. The cutting-diameter cell says 12 mm, which is not a set list.
Is the shank 1/4 inch hex?
The bullets say a 1/4 inch shank. The specification table says Straight.
Does the listing say impact-ready?
Yes. The bullets say the design is impact-ready. They do not name hammer mode.
The Bosch Expert SelfCut Speed set, model 2608902110, is £22.50, with 4.8 from 25 ratings. The box is six bits at 16, 18, 20, 22, 25 and 32 mm plus a 152 mm extension, which is how the listing reaches seven pieces. The bullets limit it to softwood and particleboard and say it is not suitable for hardwood. The threaded tip is Bosch Tip Technology, and the speed line is up to three times faster than Bosch spade bit 2609255269, not a test against the other brands here. Seven review texts praise that tip in a drill or an impact driver, clean holes, and the extension when a bit is a little short. They also call it expensive, describe the case as an average fold-over pouch that the components line does not name, and one buyer says the pictures showed a circular saw blade. One text mentions £34, which is not the £22.50 on this listing. Twenty-five ratings do not establish edge life, which is why 4.8 does not outrank the larger samples.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a self-feeding set and a 152 mm extension for softwood or particleboard, and you will ignore a hero image that does not match the text.
Less suitable: You are drilling hardwood, or you are treating 4.8 from 25 ratings as a large-sample test.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this set be used in hardwood?
No. The bullets say it is not suitable for hardwood.
What does the 3x claim compare?
Up to 3x faster than Bosch spade bit 2609255269, not a named rival brand.
Is the extension in the box?
Yes. The scope line includes a 152 mm extension with the six diameters.
The SHALL eight-piece set is £10.99 on amazon.co.uk, with 4.7 from 1,042 ratings, and the bullets list 6, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 and 32 mm, each 150 mm long, on a 1/4 inch hex. In the first 50 review texts, buyers describe sharp cuts in wood, including thicker timber, with limited tear-out, and they use the spread for door handles and other DIY holes. The pouch is part of that praise, and one reviewer ran the hex in an impact driver even though the listing does not print an impact rating. Several five-star texts say the bits had not been used yet, so the 4.7 line is not a measure of how long the edge stays sharp. The table says wood, not hardwood, and the finish field says titanium while the material line says carbon structural steel. It is the top pick here because the score ties the Gunpla 13-piece set and the larger review count breaks that tie, not because a lab timed the bits.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a pouch of common hidden-hole sizes and you will treat unused five-star texts as arrival notes, not as edge life.
Less suitable: You need a listing that names hardwood, or a single diameter with a settled specification and no spare sizes.
Specifications
Common questions
Which diameters are in the set?
The bullets list 6, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 and 32 mm, each 150 mm long.
Does it include a case?
Yes. The bullets include a storage bag for the eight bits.
Is it stated for hardwood or an impact driver?
The surface field says wood. The listing does not say hardwood and does not say impact-rated.
The Gunpla 13-piece set is £13.58, with 4.7 from 493 ratings, and the bullets list 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 25 and 32 mm on a 1/4 inch hex, plus a storage pouch. Reviewers in the first 50 texts call it strong enough for wood holes and treat the price as fair for 13 diameters, including as a site backup. The same sample says the first sharpness does not last, and one longer review tells you to oil the bits after use to limit rust. Several texts say the bits had not been tried yet. The Number of Pieces cell says 1, which does not match the 13 diameters in the bullets. A packaging line mentions wood and metal, while the surface field says wood, PVC and plastic, so that packaging line is not a steel-drilling claim. The score ties the SHALL set; the smaller review count is why this row does not take the top-pick badge.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the widest diameter list here for occasional wood, plywood and chipboard, and you will count the bits in the pouch rather than the pieces cell.
Less suitable: You need one material sentence, or you are buying because a packaging line mentioned metal.
Specifications
Common questions
How many bits are in the box?
The bullets list 13 diameters. The Number of Pieces cell says 1, which does not match the size list.
Does it include a pouch?
Yes. The bullets say a storage pouch that holds all 13 bits.
Does the listing say it drills metal?
The surface field says wood, PVC and plastic. A packaging line mentions wood and metal, but there is no metal-cutting geometry in the size bullet.
The WORKPRO eight-piece set is £19.99, with 4.6 from 757 ratings, and the bullets list 12, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28 and 32 mm at 150 mm, in a marked organiser, on a 1/4 inch hex. Reviewers describe a sharp cut in doors, including a 28 mm privacy-lock hole, and one oak job with little tear-out. The bullets also name cork, hardwood, PVC and plastic, which is one of the few hardwood lines here, and they claim hardness can reach HRC48 after heat treatment. That hardness line is a bullet, not a certificate. In the first 50 texts, one buyer received two 18 mm bits and no 22 mm bit, others say brick contact softened and bent bits, and a few bits snapped after very limited use. The case is the practical difference from a pouch set, if every marked slot actually holds the size printed on it.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cased set whose bullets name hardwood, and you will check that 22 mm is actually in the box.
Less suitable: You will drill near brick, or you need every labelled size present before the first hole.
Specifications
Common questions
Which sizes are marked in the case?
The bullets list 12, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28 and 32 mm. One review received two 18 mm bits and no 22 mm bit.
Does the listing allow hardwood?
Yes. The bullets name cork, hardwood, PVC and plastic as well as wood.
Is a case included?
Yes. Included components are eight flat bits and one small organiser.
The single Bosch Expert SelfCut Speed bit, model 2608902098, is £4.95 and rank 1 in Spade Bits on this listing, with 4.6 from 42 ratings, while the scope line and the item type say 25 × 152 mm and the cutting-diameter field says 40 mm. Across 11 texts, electricians and repeat buyers praise a threaded tip that pulls, a fast cut with an impact driver, and a point that centres where it is placed, though JeffT’s review says it needs careful handling because it grabs. One buyer who wanted 40 mm measured about 39 mm and said it did not fit, and another review talks about a 19 mm hole for a cylinder lock, which matches neither the 25 mm scope line nor the 40 mm field. The bullets say softwood and particleboard, not hardwood, and the 3× line is only against Bosch bit 2609255269. There is no extension, and the rank is Amazon’s shelf order, not a diameter you can quote.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want one Bosch self-feeding bit for softwood and you will measure the blade before you commit to a 25 mm or a 40 mm hole.
Less suitable: You need a listing where the scope line and the cutting-diameter field name the same size.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a 25 mm or a 40 mm bit?
The scope line and the item type say 25 mm. The cutting-diameter field says 40 mm. One review measured about 39 mm. Another mentions a 19 mm lock hole.
Can it be used in hardwood?
The bullets say it is not suitable for hardwood.
Does it include an extension?
No. The scope of delivery is one bit.
The Gunpla six-piece set is £6.98, with 4.5 from 287 ratings, and the bullets list 10, 12, 16, 18, 20 and 25 mm on a 1/4 inch hex in a double blister. Across 27 texts, reviewers call the bits sharp enough for plywood and chipboard on occasional DIY, and they say the hex does not slip, including in an impact driver. The listing itself does not say impact-rated. Two of six pointed tips were not straight, 10 mm points bent after one use, and the tone is cheap and cheerful rather than a workshop set. There is no pouch. The surface cell says Metal, Wood, while the title and bullets talk about plywood, plastics and chipboard, so that cell is not a reason to drill steel. It is the best value here on price against a review count above 200, with that metal-cell deduction already in the score.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need 10–25 mm for occasional board and you will check the points before the first hole.
Less suitable: You want a pouch, a hardwood sentence, or a bit you can trust in steel because a cell says metal.
Specifications
Common questions
Which six sizes are included?
10, 12, 16, 18, 20 and 25 mm.
Does the surface cell mean it drills metal?
The cell says Metal, Wood. The bullets describe wood, plywood, plastics and chipboard, not a metal bit.
Is there a pouch?
No separate pouch. The bits come in double blister packaging.
The BULLITT listing is £18.99, with 4.5 from 33 ratings, many of them Vine. The title says five pieces, 16–32 mm, plus a 152 mm extension, in tin-box packaging. The specification table does not list diameters, a shank, or a steel grade. Across 32 texts, reviewers mostly name 16, 20, 25 and 32 mm plus the extension, with one text naming 30 mm instead of 32 mm, and they describe a 1/4 inch hex and a threaded tip that the table does not confirm. They praise fast holes in studs and boards, door furniture, and a metal tin that keeps the bits separate. The cut is also called fast but rough, the tin lid arrived bent or would not stay shut, and the price is called high. An older set bending in an impact drill, and this one not, is a single treated-timber comment, not a specification. Count four cutting sizes plus an extension unless the tin in your hand shows a fifth diameter.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an extension and a tin for rough stud holes, and you will count the bits against the title before you rely on 16–32 mm.
Less suitable: You need the diameters, the shank, and a self-feeding claim printed in the specification table.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the extension included?
The title says one 152 mm extension. The components line only says spade drill bits.
Which cutting diameters are printed in the table?
None. The title says 16–32 mm. Review texts mostly name 16, 20, 25 and 32 mm.
Does the table confirm a threaded tip?
No. Review texts describe a self-feeding threaded tip. The specification table does not.
The EZUVITA ten-piece set is £11.99, with 4.4 from 111 ratings. The title says 6–32 mm and 152 mm long, with a 1/4 inch hex and a pouch, while the specification table does not list each diameter. Across 25 texts, reviewers praise the canvas pouch and a wide range, and they say the bits did the job in 18 mm ply and on a door lock. One title says the bits are not very sharp, and the 16 mm bit is described as slightly out of balance, with a wobble in use. The sample frames the set as casual DIY rather than trade wear. The page asks whether an extension is durable, but the components line lists only the ten bits. The surface field says wood and does not say hardwood. The score matches the cheaper Gunpla six-piece set; the higher price and the wobble note are why this row is not best value.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a pouched range for casual ply and a door, and you will spin the 16 mm bit in the air before you trust the hole.
Less suitable: You need every size printed in the specification table, or a set with no wobble report.
Specifications
Common questions
Is an extension included?
The page asks if the extension is durable. The components line lists only the 10 bits.
What is the length?
The title says 152 mm.
What timber does the listing name?
The surface field says wood. It does not say hardwood.
The haierr listing is £8.61, with 3.8 from 110 ratings: the title says a set, while the bullet, the set name, and the cutting-diameter field say one bit, 45 mm and 150 mm, in heat-treated carbon steel, on a 1/4 inch hex. Across 21 texts, some buyers say it arrived sharp or cut a large DIY hole, while others say it went blunt after a few holes in softwood and the top snapped off, that it broke after one use including on a commercial site, and that it burns and needs cooling in water after more than one hole. The finish is called messy rather than a clean through-cut, and review texts also say 55 mm, or that the rest of a set was missing, including comments that do not read as this bit. The bullets say soft wood, medium-hard wood and board, they do not use the word hardwood, and there is no case. Buy this only if one 45 mm bit is the object you mean to receive.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have measured a 45 mm hole and you accept a single bit with a 3.8 rating and snap reports.
Less suitable: You thought the title meant a set, or you need an edge that reviewers say survives more than a few holes.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a set?
The title says a set. The set name and the bullet say one bit, diameter 45 mm.
What diameter is printed?
The bullet and the cutting-diameter field say 45 mm. Review texts also say 55 mm and a missing set.
Does it include a case?
No case is listed.
The Berkiin 11-piece set is £8.99 and lists 6, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25 and 32 mm, each 150 mm, on a 1/4 inch hex. The bullets say heat-treated carbon steel and name plywood, plastics and chipboard as well as wood. The included storage is a plastic tube, while the highlight also says a storage box, so those two container words are not one object. This listing has no customer-review line and no review texts, which is why the score is 0. A best-sellers rank in Spade Bits is not a substitute for a star line. There is no extension, and nothing on the page says impact-rated or hardwood. Until a review sample exists, the size list is a packing claim you can check in the tube, not a report of how the edge behaves after a morning of holes.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the 11-size list at £8.99 and you will judge the bits yourself, because the listing has no review line.
Less suitable: You buy from ratings, or you need a review that describes the edge after real holes.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the star rating?
This listing has no customer-review line and no review texts.
Which sizes are listed?
6, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25 and 32 mm, each 150 mm long.
Is there a case?
The bullets include a plastic storage tube. The highlight also says a storage box.
Twelve spade bits on amazon.co.uk were scored from the listings in this comparison, read on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are those UK pages. No lab test. The score is 0–100. Stars are worth 40, the review sample 20, fit for the job 25 and value in this set 15. A listing with no star line scores 0. The top pick is the SHALL eight-piece set: it ties the Gunpla 13-piece set on 81, and 1,042 ratings against 493 break the tie. The best value is the Gunpla six-piece set, the cheaper of the two rows with the joint-highest value part. None of these scores is a durability test.
Stars
40%Amazon rating divided by 5, times 40, rounded to the nearest whole number. No rating line scores 0. The figure is the UK listing, not a lab grade.
Sample
20%1,000 or more reviews score 20; 500–999 score 16; 200–499 score 12; 50–199 score 8; 1–49 score 4; none scores 0.
Fit for the job
25%How far the title, the bullets and the specification table agree on diameter, shank, timber and what is in the box. A contradiction or a missing size list cuts this part.
Value in this set
15%Price against review count inside these 12 listings. A cheap set with a few hundred reviews scores higher here than a high star line from a few dozen ratings.
Name the diameter before the brand. It has to match the title, the components line and the specification table. Then check the shank, the timber the listing actually names, and whether a pouch or an extension is in the box. The notes below follow that order for these 12 amazon.co.uk listings. None of the scores is a drilling test.
A spade bit, also called a flat wood bit or a paddle bit, is a flat steel blade with a centre point. It bores a large hole in timber faster than a twist bit. In the UK the usual jobs are a hidden service hole, door furniture, and rough work in board. It is not a finished hinge-cup cutter. A standard bit is a centre point and two lips, usually about 150 to 152 mm overall, sold as one diameter or as a set of six to 13. A self-feeding spade adds a threaded tip.
On a simple solid timber joist the buyer summary is a centre-line hole, no more than a quarter of the depth and no more than 65 mm, placed between 0.25 and 0.4 of the span from the support. A 32 mm bit in the pouch is not a reason to drill mid-span. I-joists and metal-web joists follow the maker.
Count the diameters in the title, the components line and the specification table. A pieces cell that says 1 on a multi-bit set is not the count. A scope line and a cutting-diameter field that name different sizes are not settled, and a title that says a set can still be one bit.
A 1/4 inch hex fits a quick-change chuck. Impact-rated, where the listing prints it, means an impact driver, not hammer mode. A self-feeding tip will twist the drill if the work can spin, so clamp the piece. Flying chips are an eye hazard.
The diameter you will use has to be printed on the bit and agreed by the title, the included-components line and the specification table. Two listings in this comparison do not agree with themselves: one scope line and one cutting-diameter field name different sizes, and another title says a set while the bullet says one bit. Count the diameters in the pouch, not a pieces cell that reads 1. A 1/4 inch hex is the usual shank, so it seats in a quick-change chuck.
Softwood and board are the normal job. Hardwood only where the listing says so. Silence is not permission, and a cell that says metal is not a steel-drilling claim. Read the material line against the bullets. One table says stainless steel while the bullets say high-carbon steel, and one finish field says titanium while the material line says carbon steel. Neither conflict is a certificate. A pouch, case, tin or tube is part of the purchase. Count what is in it.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a pouch of common hidden-hole sizes and you will treat unused five-star texts as arrival notes. The SHALL eight-piece set is about £10.99, with diameters from 6 mm to 32 mm on a 1/4 inch hex and 4.7 from 1,042 ratings. The listing says wood, not hardwood.
You want about 16–25 mm for cables, a hex shank, and a hole that can sit in the joist zone. The Bosch Expert SelfCut Speed set is about £22.50, with 16 mm to 32 mm plus a 152 mm extension. The bullets say softwood and particleboard, not hardwood, and it is 4.8 from 25 ratings.
You need 10–25 mm for occasional board and you will check the points before the first hole. The Gunpla six-piece set is about £6.98, with 4.5 from 287 ratings, in a blister rather than a pouch. The surface cell says metal and wood. The bullets describe plywood, plastics and chipboard.
In this set of 12 amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the SHALL eight-piece set at about £10.99, with 4.7 from 1,042 ratings and diameters from 6 mm to 32 mm. It ties the Gunpla 13-piece set on the score, and the larger review count breaks that tie. The best value is the Gunpla six-piece set at about £6.98, with 4.5 from 287 ratings and diameters from 10 mm to 25 mm. Its value part is the joint highest, and it is the cheaper of those two rows. The surface cell says metal and wood, which the bullets do not support as a metal bit. None of these scores is a lab test.
Gunpla 6-piece spade bit set
Joint-highest value part, and the cheaper of those two rows, at about £6.98 with 287 ratings.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listings read on that date.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the UK listings in this comparison. We did not lab-test these spade bits.
